US 8,574,428 B2Granted

Desulfurization of petroleum streams using metallic sodium

AssigneeTrans Ionics Corporation

InventorRobert C. Schucker

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Abstract

In some embodiments, the invention is a method of removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon feed using the steps of dissolving metallic sodium in a first solvent, combining the sodium/first solvent solution with a sulfur-free alkane or cycloalkane second solvent, vaporizing the first solvent from sodium/first solvent/second solvent combination to transfer the dissolved metallic sodium into the second solvent, and then combine the resultant liquid with a liquid hydrocarbon feed containing an organosulfur species. The resulting stream is combined with a hydrogen donor. The combination is heated and pressurized to form a liquid hydrocarbon product containing sodium sulfide. The liquid hydrocarbon product containing sodium sulfide is then cooled, and the sodium sulfide is extracted. The extracted sodium sulfide is then processed in a sodium sulfur cell to regenerate the sodium and recycle it to the feed.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A process for removing sulfur from a liquid hydrocarbon feed, comprising the steps of:

(a) dissolving metallic sodium in a first solvent to form a solution of sodium atoms;
(b) combining the solution of sodium atoms with second solvent to form a combined stream, wherein the combination occurs at a temperature of addition and at a pressure above the vapor pressure of the first solvent used to dissolve the metallic sodium at the temperature of addition;
(c) vaporizing the first solvent from the combined stream to create a reduced combined stream;
(d) dispersing the reduced combined stream into a liquid hydrocarbon feed stream comprising organosulfur species to form a hydrocarbon feed stream;
(e) passing the hydrocarbon feed stream into a pressurized reactor vessel in addition to a hydrogen-donor stream;
(f) reacting the hydrocarbon feed and hydrogen-donor streams to form a modified composition comprising sodium sulfide and less organosulfur species than previously present in the hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the reaction occurs for a sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature;
and
(g) processing the sodium sulfide in a sodium sulfur cell to regenerate elemental sodium.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/528,728Filed 25 Feb 2008 · continuation in part
Priority: 16 Apr 2004
Published: US 2010/0276335 A14 Nov 2010
Granted: 5 Nov 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

C10G 29/10
Metal salts, or metal salts deposited on a carrier: sulfides
C10G 45/02
Refining of hydrocarbon oils using hydrogen or hydrogen-generating compounds: to eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the…
C10G 45/24
To eliminate hetero atoms without changing the skeleton of the hydrocarbon involved and without cracking into lower boiling hydrocarbons;…: with…
C10G
Cracking hydrocarbon oils

Family

Application10/826,621Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Apr 2004
Application11/679,071Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Feb 2007
Application60/978,812Us provisional application · filed 10 Oct 2007
US 2010/0276335 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Nov 2010
US 7,588,680 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,192,516 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2005/0145545 A1Published application
US 8,574,428 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.